Woman spars with DMV over Trump hat license photo

CLERMONT, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A supporter of President Donald Trump took on the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and got her driver's license picture taken while wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat. Now, the state may make her take the photograph again, but without the hat.

When we first met up with Cheryl Hall, she was feeling proud and victorious.

"My birthday, I got to have this great hat on and also I fought for what I believe in with the state, because it didn't make sense to me," Hall said, "so this is victorious for me."

She said she went to get her new license at the end of March and was asked by the employee assisting her to remove the hat.

"I said, 'Why do I have to take my hat off, when I see a young lady over there with a veil covering around her face?' I didn't understand that. So she said to me, 'That's her religion.' I said, 'If that's her religion, this is my religion!' And she said, 'Well, we do have regulations with the statutes.'"

A spokesman with the Lake County Tax Collector's Office confirmed that Hall was asked to remove her hat, but he said Hall made no mention of the hat being part of her religion. David Jordan said the employee, who was assisting Hall at the time, was following the DMV manual, which states that the picture must be of the full face and a hat can only be worn for religious or medical reasons. However, Jordan clarified that the actual state statute requires that only the photograph be of the full face.

When Hall called him days later to challenge the situation, citing religion, Jordan said the state DMV told him to allow the hat to be in the photograph. Jordan turned to the actual law and told his employee to take the picture showing the full face.

But in a turn of events, Jordan now says his superiors in Tallahassee have told him that they are reviewing their policy and the decision to allow Hall to take the picture with the hat. According to Jordan, the state is in the process of sending Hall a letter, explaining that she will have to retake the picture.

Hall said, "I am pretty upset! Obviously, I will fight it, even if I have to go to an attorney. It's ridiculous!"